Gabalfa News

New play equipment has this week been installed at Maitland Park - the latest in a series of new facilities secured by the hard work of the local Lib Dem Focus Team.

The new 'natural play' apparatus occupies the previously dead space in the triangle near to Laytonia Avenue, and provides an alternative to the formal playground area by St. Joseph's Primary School. It also means that there are more facilities for younger children in the park.

The Gabalfa Lib Dem Focus Team will be holding an advice surgery this coming Friday (13th January) at St. Mark's Church on North Road between 5.30pm and 6.30pm.

All residents are welcome to attend; no appointment is necessary. Local councillors, Ed Bridges and Cathy Pearcy, will be joined by local campaigner Gareth Holden to help with any local problems. Any resident who would like to report an issue but who can't make it on Friday can contact us using our details on this website.

The Gabalfa Liberal Democrat Focus Team have secured a major victory for local residents, after getting a planning application turned down for a seven-storey block of student flats in the area.

Cardiff University was told that they will be refused permission to build a seven-storey block of 179 flats at Talybont Gate, on an overflow car park near to McDonald's in Gabalfa, after Cllr. Ed Bridges spoke out against the plans and explained the concerns of the local community. Local Lib Dem campaigner, Gareth Holden, had also submitted a petition against the scheme, citing major concerns over the lack of parking for the new flats. The Planning Committee voted by eight votes to one in favour of deferring the application for a month so that a full list of reasons for refusal could be worked up. Committee Members had said that the application was an inappropriate over-development of the site. Cardiff University have already indicated that they will appeal the decision.

The Gabalfa Lib Dem Focus Team have been working hard on issues around Whitchurch Road.

A recent planning application (number 11/01809/DCI) is seeking permission for full planning permission to convert the properties at 232-236 Whitchurch Roadinto a total of twelve self-contained apartments. The plans show a two-storey extension to the rear and a single-storey extension to the front.

The Gabalfa Focus Team are working to tidy up the area around Whitchurch Road.

Over recent months, there have been issues with dumped litter, fly-tipped building waste and ripped open charity bags being left in rear lanes.

Local campaigner, Gareth Holden, said: "Some of the lanes have been left in a really poor state. We have contacted Cardiff Council about some of the charity shop donations which have been left scattered in lanes near Newfoundlandand Heathfield Road, and are working on solutions to this. We have also called for a clean-up of the mess in the rear lane betweenHeathfield Road and Maitland Street."

The Gabalfa Liberal Democrat Focus Team has welcomed news that Flaxland Allotments will receive a major upgrade - as well as accommodating a new home for a local doctors' surgery.

For several years, there has been confusion over the future of the allotments. A large section of the land suffers from contamination and has been unusable for allotment space. Cardiff's Lib Dem council has always wanted to being the land back into use - unlike local Tories, who called for the land to be concreted over for a car park!

The Gabalfa Lib Dem Focus Team want local residents to be aware of plans to build nine apartments at 116-120 Whitchurch Road, on the floors above the new Sainsbury's shop.

The application is also seeking related works to the rear of the site which will see seven car parking spaces added.

Local campaigner, Gareth Holden, said: "This application has been on the horizon for some time, and we want to ensure local residents get the chance to take part in the consultation and have their say."

The Gabalfa Focus Team were pleased to see that, following a long and hard-fought campaign, Cardiff Council were resurfacingMynachdy Roadrecently.

But that satisfaction turned sour when they discovered that they were only resurfacing the bottom end of the street!

Local activist, Gareth Holden, told us: "We've campaigned for years on this issue, submitting petitions and writing endless letters to the Council - so it was good to see that work paying off. But it seems extraordinary that they only did half the road - and arguably did the section which was in better condition!"